The sounds of silence

Why would a deaf person not want to hear? After all, I've never met a blind person who doesn't want to see. Or a paralyzed victim who doesn't want to walk. But some deaf people are vehemently opposed to the use of cochlear implants, an electronic device that introduces deaf people to the hearing world.

Cochlear implant surgery is another type of bypass surgery. An electrical device is inserted into the ear which allows sound to jump across the diseased part of the organ. But it does not cure deafness. Hearing is present only when the implant is turned on.

But many deaf people claim that deafness is not a disability -- rather it's a gift which enables them to have their own "culture."

They also argue that cochlear implants are not all that they're cracked up to be. Following the surgery, patients must undergo intensive therapy and the end result is not the same as normal hearing.

They also cite cases in which patients have struggled to accept the use of implants and never adjusted to them. In the end, they finally turn them off for good and use sign language.

Lastly, they make a very important point. That what is between the ears is more important than what goes into the ears.

There is little doubt that many deaf adults are able to live happy and productive lives with the use of sign language. But what about the other side of the coin?

I've talked to deaf patients who have had the cochlear implant. They say they can now hear birds singing, listen to music, talk on the telephone and hear the approach of an oncoming car. It's nothing short of a miracle. They would not want to go back to the non-hearing world.

LIP-READ THROUGH LAW SCHOOL

One patient in particular impressed me. John Humphrey is a business lawyer at McMillan Binch in Toronto. He lip-read his way through law school. It wasn't easy as professors do not face a class all the time. He considered continuing life in the world of silence. But he realized he was missing out on so many things and finally decided on implant surgery.

Now he has no hesitation recommending it to deaf people. He says, "The implant saved my life. It's the difference between night and day. Now I can use the telephone, talk to clients and not ask people to repeat what's been said. It expanded my horizons and I feel totally liberated."

But the challenge is great. Deaf patients who want implant surgery must be highly motivated. They must be prepared to undergo extensive post-operative training to adapt to "implant hearing."

I'm a great believer in freedom of choice. So I have no trouble if adults choose not to hear. But I think where this issue gets a trifle dicey is when children are born deaf. Who truly knows what these children would prefer later in life?

My daughter who has worked with the deaf says, "The best proxy is the parent who has to make all sorts of difficult choices for children."

Maybe she's right. But if I'd been born deaf, I'm sure I'd hope my parents would take advantage of the benefits of the new science. I don't believe I'd be content to live in the isolation of silence when I knew there was a viable alternative in the world of sound.

Moreover, ours is a tough world. The fewer the disabilities the better. Deaf people have poor reading skills and a higher unemployment rate.

Since I like to travel, the inability to communicate would clinch my decision. Having recently been terribly lost in a foreign country, I might still be there if I'd just been able to use sign language. Although, having to stay in that quaint little town might not be so bad after all!